Chris Christie declares state of emergency, storm aims for South Jersey

A powerful cold front was expected to dump up to 10 inches of snow on the southern part of the state Monday morning while turning the morning commute into a slippery mess across New Jersey, leading Gov. Chris Christie to declare a state of emergency, officials said.

Gloucester, Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties are expected to get the worst of the storm, but Central New Jersey residents can expect up to 6 inches of snow, and Essex and Union counties will receive as much as 3 inches, said Larry Nierenberg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly.

“It’s one storm, but there are several waves or several pieces,” he said.

Around 9 o'clock tonight, Christie declared a state of emergency and ordered all state buildings closed to non-essential employees today.

“This winter storm is expected to arrive tonight and last through Monday, bringing heavy snow and creating hazardous travel conditions throughout the state,” the governor said in a statement. “I’ve authorized state officials to take all necessary actions, and my administration will monitor conditions throughout the remainder of the storm.”

Temperatures will plunge into the 20s early Monday and dip into the single digits Monday night, Nierenberg said, meaning standing water on roadways could quickly turn to ice and make for a dangerous rush-hour commute.

That could be especially dangerous in South Jersey, where the first portion of the storm dumped persistent rain yesterday, Nierenberg said.

“The worst part of the storm is going to be from early morning (Monday) to maybe late morning/early afternoon,” he said. “It’s going to start off as more of a wet snow, then transition to a fluffy snow. Certainly, the morning commute can be quite treacherous.”

The storm was already wreaking havoc on flights this afternoon, with nearly 1,600 flights in the United States canceled and another 1,515 delayed. According to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.com, 85 flights were canceled and 97 were delayed at Newark Liberty International Airport. Another 82 were already canceled for Monday.

The frigid temperatures could also cause problems during Tuesday’s commute if black ice forms, Nierenberg said.

“If there happens to be any standing water, or water that gets there from salt on the road, that’s going to potentially freeze (Tuesday) night,” he said.

Temperatures will climb back into the 30s Wednesday, but another storm front could produce snow late Thursday night if the mercury drops again, said Nierenberg, who added it’s still too early for New Jerseyans to put away their shovels.

"The window is closing for snow as we get through March, but certainly the way this winter has been, I'm not going to say there isn't any more snow coming," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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